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<title>cities aren't like people; they live on and on by rocket_rach</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22811584">cities aren't like people; they live on and on</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocket_rach/pseuds/rocket_rach'>rocket_rach</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>secrets we keep (to keep you safe) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Batman - Freeform, Gen, bruce wayne is always thinking about his kids full stop, goddamn jackass, happy birthday bruce wayne you fucking idiot, i love you you are so precious and stupid, in which the city of gotham is a god-like being with magical powers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 10:28:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22811584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocket_rach/pseuds/rocket_rach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gotham city has waited long enough for her champion, and he's not getting any younger.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>secrets we keep (to keep you safe) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1070310</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>cities aren't like people; they live on and on</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Bruce liked to think of himself as well informed. He knew the moves other governments would take months before they even began to think of it themselves. He managed to build an entire underground network capable of supporting his nightly activities as Batman completely under the radar. He’d managed to create not only a local vigilante support system in the twenty-five years he’d be flying around Gotham’s roofs, but also a global defense system filled and run by superheroes from all over the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bruce Wayne knew a lot, but Gotham City kept certain secrets hidden from him. She’d worked very hard to keep them from him. But he was getting old. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>More times than she could count, she’d watch the Bat miss his mark with his grappling gun. He’d find another mark, but those moments where he free fell a dozen stories or so were terrifying. She had waited three hundred years, but she finally found her champion. She wanted to scream to the heavens, to shake the earth and toll the bells. After years of hearing Metropolis gloat about her hero and hero’s husband keeping the city safe, she could gloat back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The black and orange city would sing if Batman accepted her offer. After all, she’d saved his life enough times. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d sing loud enough to disrupt Metropolis from her comfortable slumber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched as Bruce took the expressway home, already planning out his haunts for the night with his butler.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just a few short hours later, Batman was swinging. His aim and shots were sure as he travelled from Crime Alley to the very top of Wayne Enterprises. She waited until his feet settled on the roof, the wind whipping his cape behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Bruce Wayne,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The wind rumbled. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Batman</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He crouched into a defensive position, batarangs lodged between his fingers. He swept his eyes around, cowl turning slowly as he surveyed the rooftop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s there?” Batman growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You’ve kept this city safe for twenty five years. You’ve run the rooftops, protected the people, and prevented the end of days more times than should be necessary. The people have turned their backs on you in both of your lives, and yet you continue to serve.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Batman was pacing the rooftop now. She could feel him tapping away at his gauntlet, using the computer hidden in there to scan for everything. Finally, he lowered his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And?” he asked while she was silent. “Who are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Gotham.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Batman ground his teeth/</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I worked for years to keep this city as meta-human free as possible. During your first years as my dark knight, I could see you were ready, but not ready enough.  But you learned fast. I hadn’t counted on that. I’d underestimated you before. I never expected you to walk out of that alley. I never thought you’d return home. I never thought you’d fight for the city that killed your parents. But how you’ve </span>
  </em>
  <span>grown</span>
  <em>
    <span>. Those children you’ve raised to fight in your mission are incredible. The feats you perform every night are unheard of. But you’re getting old. I see your wins and successes, but I am there for your losses and failures, too.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He settled on a gargoyle, letting his finger tips brush the concrete brute’s head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this common for cities? They’re sentient? Or is this just a Gotham occurrence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed, and the Gargoyle seemed to shake beneath him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>All cities are alive. But we only awake when our champion arises. I had thought your father and mother were to be my champions, but when you survived, knees in their blood in that damp alley, I knew you were my knight.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hrn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She could tell he needed more convincing. If he said no, she’d simply wait for one of his whelps to take the mantle. But she wanted Bruce. She wanted him to stay and fight, to prowl her streets and encourage growth. A city was only as powerful as her people, and the threat of villains taking her down grew every day. But the nights were Bruce was home were the nights she felt the most powerful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you asking?” He finally asked after a few minutes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Be my knight. You can stay and fight for peace in the city so long as you are true to yourself. Immortality, in exchange for continuing your mission.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would happen to my family?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind lashed into his. Batman’s hands gripped onto the gargoyle, holding himself firm as images of him fighting through Gotham, throughout decades, surrounded by Robins and allies he knew and trusted and those he’d hadn’t met yet. The skyline of Gotham changed, but the Wayne Enterprises tower always rose above the rest. As the visions of the future progressed, he noticed that Batman didn’t change. It was him in the cowl as the visions reached the 22nd century, him fighting in the street as flying police cars circled overhead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough,” he growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The visions stopped, and he could swear he felt the city hold its breath. She could feel the temptation rolling in his mind. But she could also feel how heavily he was leaning into the gargoyle. His body was aging, and he’d finally reached a critical point where she could help him. But he could say no. He could live out the rest of his life until Death took him from her. He could live in his manor in Bristol, surrounded by his children, and eventually his children’s children. He could retire and live somewhere exotic, leaving Gotham in his rearview mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will my kids be safe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>In my streets, they’ll be like gods.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stands, the wind roaring beneath his feet. Then he jumps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do it,” is the last thing he says before he’s swallowed in a burning black-fire maw.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>happy birthday broose!! enjoy the immortality. also yes, lois lane is metropolis' champion. no point in giving clark any more power than he already has. </p><p>come visit me on tumblr!! id love to chat.</p><p>fooliganmusing.tumblr.com</p></blockquote></div></div>
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